The Nets remain the frontrunner to land Blatche, but a source told Lee, “Nothing is finalized.” The deal with the Nets would likely not be fully guaranteed, which is probably the reason negotiations have not wrapped up.

Watch This

Without question, Blatche’s reputation has fallen around the league. Back in September 2010, Blatche was coming off a year in which he averaged 14.1 points and 6.3 rebounds. He was 23 at the time, and the Wizards thought enough of Blatche’s potential to sign him to a three-year contract extension worth $23 million. Had Blatche continued on his arc of development, the deal would have been a bargain.

But concerns about Blatche’s work ethic, practice habits and off-court approach weighed on the Wizards, especially after point guard John Wall was added to the mix as the No. 1 pick in 2010. Blatche had good numbers (16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds), but showed little improvement defensively or in the locker room. Last season he was out of shape and played only 26 games.

From Blatche’s point of view, part of the problem was that the vibe around Wizards had already been spoiled, and he is a scapegoat. This summer, hoping to revamp the losing culture around the team, the Wizards waived him using the amnesty clause, essentially agreeing to pay Blatche not to be with the team anymore.

The hope for Blatche is that by joining a team with a winning culture, he can reboot his reputation and show himself to be a contributor. Both the Nets and Heat have high aspirations for the coming season, and if he is surrounded by competent veterans who work hard and win, Blatche could get himself back on track to fulfilling his potential.